The Final Hour
by abz1
Summary: This is my take on the Chax reunion, loved what the show did but I wanted to write my own version...


**The final hour**

Her hands lay gently on the nape of my neck, she played with the tufts of hair, in any other circumstance this would have been the most annoying thing ever but right now, right here with her, it was perfect, I couldn't believe that she was here, I asked her what this place is and her reply '_it doesn't matter.'_ She was right it didn't matter; as long as we were here together then whatever was happening didn't matter. I turned my head slightly to look up at her face, still as beautiful as ever, the time that we had spent away from each other was definitely the hardest. I can see the words bouncing around on her lips yet she still needs to speak. I hug her knee tightly just to make sure this is _real, _her hand moves and this time runs through my thick coarse hair. Still clinging to her knee, I feel a gentle kiss on the top of my head and I can't help but let a tear fall whilst I relish her touch.

''Brax'' her gentle voice echoes around us, bouncing off the cliff top and dispersing into the thin chilly air, the colour around is not bright and cheerful, it reflects the situation we are in. I refuse to look up until she says my name again and then I do look up, right into her blue eyes, I can see the glassy layer on the surface of her eyelids,

''you need to go back to your family''

''you want me to go back'' I ask her slightly shocked she wants me to go back, how can I go back when I just found her, it had taken me so long to see her again and she was telling me to leave, let her go, just the way Ruby let her go,

''I never let you go Charlie''

''I know''

''and I don't intend to let you go now either''

She turns her head away from me looking elsewhere but at me, bringing my hand up to her face, I turn it back around so I can see her,

''It's bad enough asking me to go back but not even letting me look at you...'' I leave the sentence unfinished because the smile that is on her face now indicates to me she knows that I just want to keep looking at her.

''Brax, your brothers need you''

I shake my head and then begin to play with her hands, small in comparison to mine, yet they fitted perfectly,

''my brothers have their own lives, I have my own, I have you''

**Charlie's P.O.V**

They say when you die, that is it, all the pain that the world gives you is gone, the worry, the hurt, even the love leaves and you become a floater, someone who keeps an eye out for loved ones, protects them, makes sure they are okay, but no matter how long I've been floating for, no matter how hard I try, sitting here with him, the one man that I truly love reminds me of the life I could have, even now a life that I can still have but I want him to be happy, and me on my own will never give him the happiness he deserves, after all dead people don't continue.

He is playing with my hands and it reminds me of our relationship, towards the end when we needed more from each other than just physical interaction, it reminded me of the intimacy, the words that were never spoken yet we knew how intense our relationship had become, I can't help but remember the first time he told me he loved me, it wasn't the perfect circumstances yet the words were perfect. I can't help but feel that he feels them words for someone else, and in his haste he is not thinking.

Talking about his brothers, the people he would do anything for, he is who he is today because of the way her morphed himself to look after his brothers and today he was giving up on them for me. He is telling me how they have their own lives and how he has his own. I can't help but bring her into the conversation, as much as I know she has hurt Brax, I know she loves him, and even if the love Brax feels for her is not as intense as what he feels for me, I know there is something there.

''and Ricky, Brax what about Ricky'' immediately he lets go of my hands, gets up and walks a few steps away from me, and just the way I remember he tilts his head back, runs his hands through his hair and lets out a sigh, I can't help but smile to myself, he hasn't changed one bit and that is why I still love him.

I stand beside him, latching my arm onto his and resting my head on his shoulders, I feel his arm move around my shoulder and rest gently, I move into him further and we both just watch the water lapping furiously, it wasn't calm, but it provided something of an eerie atmosphere and we was content watching it.

**Brax's P.O.V**

''I can't forgive her'' after what feels like ages I break the silence of words, I feel her move and she steps out of the embrace but holds onto my hands, she stands in front of me and rubs the tattoo on my hand,

''Friend of my heart'' I tell her as she continues to stroke the words,

''Charlie I missed you so much'' I let my voice waver, it was too late to show the hard exterior, she had well and truly broken me,

''It's beautiful''

''a bit like the women it refers to'' I reply cheekily,

''I see you haven't lost the cheeky attitude then''

''nup'' I bring her hand up to my lips and I let the kiss linger, touching her skin, soft and supple in contrast to my lips, cold and hard and they seem to be cracking,

''Brax we are running out of time''

'I don't want to leave''

''Brax, you have your whole life back there, you have ...'' before she can say her name, I stop her,

''I told you I can't forgive her, she destroyed my family, she destroyed everything, everything''

''not everything Brax, she didn't destroy everything''

''she did, have you not been watching what she has been doing for months''

''Brax she didn't destroy everything, look where you are, as silly as it may be, you are here because of her actions, you tell me if she hadn't done what she did, then how would you have come to me?''

I think for a minute as crazy as it is, maybe Charlie was right, this was all leading to this moment, this moment with her.

''Brax, you need to make a decision''

''what do you want?''

''I want you to be happy Brax, I want to see you settle, I want you to have them little mini Brax's that we talked about, I just want you to have everything that we couldn't have''

''honestly tell me how does that make you feel, knowing our time was cut short''

''it hurts, the time we had was amazing, it wasn't enough but I don't regret any of it''

I sit down on the rocks and gently pull her down, laying her head down on my knees and she is looking up at me, instead of making eye contact I follow the contours of her body, I take in every part of it, and I let a tear roll, she really is beautiful.

''do you remember how it made you feel when I was shot Brax''

''I hated myself, it was all my fault''

''and how did you feel when that switch was flicked and the last remaining breath left my body''

''empty, like my soul had been ripped out with you'' I had never talked to anyone about how I felt when Charlie... yeah when Charlie left, I instead chose to drink and do stupid things,

''just the way you felt then, that is how someone else will feel if you decide not to go back'' the tears were free flowing now, hers and mine,

''Brax you need to go back, I didn't have the choice, I wish I had a choice, I would have not thought twice, and as much as I want you to stay you need to go back''

''please Charlie'' it was my decision but why was I pleading with her to understand.

''Don't go back because I am telling you to go back, don't go back because of your brothers, don't go back for Ricky but go back for Ruby''

Suddenly this delusional scene took another turn and another complication added to the mix,

''you promised her, you would always be there for her, family you said''

''that's not fair, and you know it isn't''

I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing what else to say, so instead I decided to take the conversation to another direction, there was too much to say and I could feel I was running out of time, my body was beginning to limp and feel fragile,

''I'm sorry''

''what do you have to apologise for Brax''

''I did some pretty stupid things after... yeah well after you know, I might have gone with a few strays''

''you wouldn't be Brax if you didn't''

''so you're not upset''

''upset yes but then I wouldn't be Charlie if I didn't forgive you and take you back''

''Charlie, please''

''Brax lets not go through this again, if you ever loved me, you will go back''

''loved you Charlie, I still love you''

''then prove it, Brax you never leave unfinished business, you never do anything without thinking it through''

''Charlie look around you, for one moment forget where we are, for one moment forget what is waiting for me back there, just for one minute let us forget everything, let this moment be about us. I don't want to think about anyone, for a minute I want to be here just with you, remember _one day like a normal couple_. I just want to feel that again''

''Don't look back to what we had, look forward to what you are going to have''

''this is the hardest thing for me to do''

''even harder than loving me?''

''loving you was easy, letting you go isn't''

''does this mean you have decided?''

''how long before I go back?''

Sitting up, she takes both my hands in hers, directing them around her waist she turns to me, wiping her tears with both mine and her hands,

''this is the final hour, lets enjoy it''

-x-

**Charlie's P.O.V**

Holding hands we were now walking along the beach, once again words were not spoken but instead felt, he really was my true soul mate and I know that I was making him go back, but this was a testament to how much I love him, I know he would regret it not going back, this wasn't like leaving the river boys one last time, this wasn't like promising not to help Heath out of another predicament, this was final.

''I guess we should make this hour count then''

''yes, what did you have in mind?''

''Well the beach is quite secluded and it's been a while'' he replied as he winked at me,

I rolled my eyes at him,

''as tempting as that is, we don't have enough time''

''time, are you forgetting I could do amazing things in ten, ten minutes''

I laughed at his crazy thoughts,

''how about we talk''

''talk, really you want to talk instead of'' he gestured to his body, he knew I wasn't going to give in so instead he slumped down on the sand pulling me down to sit next to him,

''Okay then let's talk''

**Brax's P.O.V**

We sat on the beach for the last half hour, forty minutes, laughing, joking; even a few tears but we were happy, content with each other.

''so if I asked you to marry me would you have?''

''If that's a proposal Mr Braxton then I expect something more than that''

''Tell me''

''yes without hesitation, I would have married you, and had your babies''

''one of each''

''I don't think it's that easy but yeah one of each''

''Arissa? What do you think of that name, my little girl would be called Arissa Braxton''

''it's beautiful, and your little boy?''

''that's up to you'' I was looking out to the sea now and I could see a young boy, he had them green eyes, the same dimples, and his hair was the same shade,

''is that our boy?'' I ask Charlie confused how suddenly a young boy was now walking towards to us,

''No''

''So who is it''

''you know who it is''

I look at Charlie and then the boy and he is still walking towards us, I try to figure out his age, he looks around 13 or 14, I recognize him from somewhere, he looks so familiar, but why can't I figure it out. I then watch him bend down, he picks up a surf board, it seems to have appeared from thin air, I watch how he straps his ankle, I watch how his feet move towards the water, and he turns around and looks at us. He smiles and then it hits me, this boy is not 13 or 14, this boy is eleven, it is exactly two weeks after his eleventh birthday and this boy was given his first surf board, this was the same boy who had thought he would never be happier than he had been on that day when he caught his first wave. He had thought he had found all the happiness in the world, but how was he to know he had to grow up yet.

''Brax its time to go''

I break out of my trance, looking at Charlie and then at the boy out in the sea, I can see he is struggling, this was different to how I remembered it, the boy hadn't struggled all those years ago so why was he struggling now,

''Brax, you need to go''

My mind was boggled, that was literally the best way to describe it, I looked at the boy and then at Charlie, I then knew what I had to do, taking Charlie's hand I started to walk towards the water, getting to the water's edge, I squeezed her hand and before I knew it I let go and jumped into the water to save myself because that little boy struggling in the water was me, a younger me. This was me choosing to live or to die.

-x-

**3****rd**** person's P.O.V**

The air was light, the grey sky was getting lighter, almost blinding, he couldn't hear anything, for a moment it was like he had never heard what sound was, he closed the gap between himself and the little boy but in all the time the gap between him and Charlie was increasing, when he finally reached the boy, grabbing onto the board first and then laying the boy on top, bringing him to safety, Brax then felt his body gaining weight, he was suddenly sinking and he was going deeper and deeper into the water, and before he knew it that one glance he took back to see her face, her dress flowed with the wind and he felt himself falling into a oblivion, her voice was loud and clear, it wasn't saying goodbye, it wasn't telling him he made the right decision, it was asking him something, he needed to concentrate on what was happening, he tried to listen as he continued to fall into this pit he found himself in, he finally made out what she was saying but really, was she really asking him not to go, he could hear it clearly now,

_Brax please don't leave me... _at first it was like a plead and now it was becoming like a demand, but he was falling further away from her, and now he was hearing more voices, they were familiar too. They were his brothers and he could hear words being exchanged, they were arguing and by the sound of it, it was over a surf magazine, he was now lingering, he had suddenly stopped and the voices were deafening him, one side Charlie was pleading and the other his brothers were trying their hardest to bring him back. It was like his life was flashing before his eyes, every moment right up until the moment he got shot, every moment played out in front of him and then he knew what he wanted he just didn't know how.

He was falling again and he could hear his brothers voice clearer now, Charlie's voice was becoming a whisper, until he started to call for her, his mouth was dry, and it took him all his strength to call her name, but he did, as soon as he did, he started to almost travel backwards and now his brothers argument had subsided and he could hear them asking each other whether Brax was saying Charlie's name which he was. He didn't know what was happening and suddenly he could hear Charlie and his brothers were gone, there was silence from their end. He hadn't realised his eyes had been closed in the whole time and as he opened them, the scene in front of him was different, there was a bright light shining on his face, the colour felt like it had almost been restored and then he heard someone speak,

''thank god, I thought you was a goner'' he looked around and she stood there, her hair flowing, she looked angelic, she was wearing a white sun dress and her skin was radiant, Brax then realised the bright light was the sun shining and he was someplace else.

''welcome home'' she said as she outstretched her hands and he took them in his own, a smile played on both of their faces before she stepped forward and almost in sync, their lips crashed with each other, morphing into each other, the euphoria of each other lingered between them, he relaxed a little and she took full control letting her lips take full dominance. After what felt like an eternity, they both separated and with their foreheads joined they both knew that they had finally made it. Together forever.

-x-

**So guys that is my take on Chax and the reunion, I was so grateful and happy for the little amount of Chax we got, a little is better than nothing but I did feel a little cheated thinking that Charlie was only bought back so Chax fans will accept Ricky rather than conclude the epic Chax storyline. I never thought I would have ever said this, but I really and I mean I really, really wanted Brax to die... but I'm happy how the scenes turned out coz like I said a little is better than nothing. **

**Chax forever, a couple we will never forget, no matter how many times they bring Charlie back and she tells Brax to move on! **

**Hope you enjoyed reading and as for my other stories, they are work in progress.**

**Abz**


End file.
